Identified in the draft master plan as a place for more interaction with nature and natural play, GSP and the Shelford and Stapleford Youth Initiative (SSYI) are working together to realise this new scheme for the area down by the river.

Designed by local Landscape Architect Sophie O’Hara Smith, the intention is to blur the edges of the copse by increasing the number of native plants and trees, opening up some routes through the copse and leaving grass to grow in to meadows whilst introducing logs to play and sit on. We hope this will encourage more wildlife and entice the community to experience the wilder side of the rec!

The Wildlife Trust is supportive of the proposals and have recommended planting woodland species such as Wood Avens, Ramsons, Selfheal, Red Campion, Hairy St John’s Wort and Primrose, amongst others.

You can download our initial proposals and copse consultation report here.

The SSYI are generously supporting this project through funding and labour – the young people will be doing much of the work themselves!